Continual War

What a grim day.

Today marks the 8th Anniversary of the Iraq War. An illegal war. A war against a country that never threatened us. A war against a country that never attacked us. A war that destroyed thousands of American lives and millions of Iraq lives. And for what? What purpose did it serve and why are we still there?

As if this anniversary wasn't depressing enough now we are bombing yet another country. Today we began bombing Libya. Why? Again, what purpose does it serve.

We have no money for infrastructure.
We have no money for the arts.
We have no money for education.
We have no money for healthcare.
Yet, if we took the money we spent just today on bombing three innocent countries around the globe we could fund all the above items for years.

All I can do is sit here and cry.

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The Founding Fathers on War.

I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture, in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.
- John Adams, letter to Abigail Adams, 1780

Finally, there seem to be but three Ways for a Nation to acquire Wealth. The first is by War as the Romans did in plundering their conquered Neighbours. This is Robbery.
- Benjamin Franklin, Positions to be Examined, April 4, 1769

No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
— James Madison, Political Observations, 1795

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Don't get me wrong. War serves a purpose and I am so happy to live in a country that, for all intents and purpose, simply cannot be effectively attacked. To quote President George Washington:

If we desire to insult, we must be able to repel it; if we desire to secure peace, one of the most powerful instruments of our rising prosperity, it must be known, that we are at all times ready for War.
- George Washington, Annual Message, December 1793

However, at what point do we go from defender of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness to Tyrant?

The war is not meant to be won, it is meant to be continuous. Hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. This new version is the past and no different past can ever have existed. In principle the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation.
- George Orwell

Bottled Water

Something I will never ever ever understand.

People who complain that Gas is $4/gallon but have no problem buying bottled water, which is nothing more than municipal tap water, sold back to them at a 1900% profit after their taxes already paid to pump and filter it.

P.T. Barnum was so right. A sucker truly is born every minute.

Budget Musings

Congress continues to fight over the United States Budget and all the talk seems to be about cutting social services in the name of debt reduction. On the chopping block is funding for critically important things such as Planned Parenthood and NPR.

I love math. Remember, it was my high math score that got me into computers in the first place, so let's do the math for the budget.

The Federal Budget is $1.3 Trillion. Of that Planned Parenthood gets about $300 Million and NPR gets about $428 Million. That equates to an itty bitty teeny weeny percentage of the total budget.

Planned Parenthood gets about 0.02% of the budget and NPR gets about 0.03% of the budget.

Now let's look at the War Budget (sorry, I can't call it the Defense Budget because it has nothing to do with defense). The United States of America is spending about $719 Billion to make war.

That translates into 55.3% of the budget. 55%!!! We are the only Super Power on Planet Earth. We are the biggest baddest most awesome military in the history of the world. However, we really don't need to be spending that kind of money on our military. It is completely unnecessary.

Imagine the utopia this country could be if we cut war spending by a few hundred billion. Let's bring it down to a level where we can blow up the earth 5 times over instead of 10 times over. We'd still be the biggest baddest bully on the block, but we'd also be able to care for our citizens.

Stop funding Planned Parenthood. Really? A much needed and depended upon service for women's healthcare. Do Republicans hate women that much? How do they view their wives and daughters?

Stop funding NPR. Really? Are the Republicans that terrified of an informed electorate?

As per the United States Constitution, only Congress can declare war. The last time congress declared war was 70 years ago in 1941. So why are we stomping all over earth blowing up people? Oh right, they have the audacity to put a country where our resources are.

Stop spending more than half of every tax dollar blowing up people and we can provide health care for all Americans. We can provide an education for all our children. People can afford to go to college and oh so much more.

Math doesn't lie. Politicians do. Look at the math and don't let people trick you into believing that cutting funding for important services for people has anything to do with reducing debt. It doesn't.

Of all the enemies to public liberty war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.
— James Madison, Political Observations, 1795